First impressions

It’s been a busy week since my election.

The result was announced at around 4am on Friday 6th May – Hackney has two women MPs for the first time. Diane Abbott and I believe that we are the only area to be represented solely by women – but we are too tired and too busy to confirm this.

After too little sleep I met with London and Quadrant housing association at 1pm on 6 May. Over the last year I have met with residents of Haggerston West and Kingsland estates who have selected L&Q as their preferred partner and potential new landlord.

Despite three attempts to transfer to a new landlord over the last 10 years the tenants are still waiting. I pressed L&Q (who have been involved for about two years) to work to ensure the ballot is not delayed any longer and raised issues about space and density. I am already seeking a meeting with housing minister Yvette Cooper to discuss how to fund this, if tenants back it.

Housing seems to be the theme of the week. A further meeting with Hackney Council’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Jamie Carswell, confirms that the proposals for Hackney’s arms length housing management company is on the minister’s desk.

We discuss how to make sure this is progressed. I promise to try and get her to visit Hackney so she can see for herself the massive improvements in much of Hackney’s social housing but also the huge challenges that remain.

On Tuesday I go into Parliament as an MP for the first time. It really is like the first day at school. There are 40 new Labour MPs and we are all herded into a “classroom” for our induction. We all want to know when we will get an office – not for at least a couple of weeks, we’re told.

My colleagues Kitty Ussher and Natascha Engels may get a higher priority as both are due to give birth within a month, which seems fair enough. Some of us wonder if we should have been thinking of this a few months ago…

Have a chat with Ed Balls about juggling kids and Parliamentary life (schoolfriends’ birthday parties and MP’s workloads can be a difficult balancing act) and with Pat McFadden about life in Hackney (he used to live in Victoria Park). Not really high affairs of state.

At the end of the day I squeeze in a few visits to staff about telephones, computers etc before rushing off to a London Co-operative Party meeting. They are very supportive. We discuss the election and I promise to come back to discuss other matters in future.

Wednesday and still only my mobile and my handbag as my “office”. Approached by a member of staff saying that the post room have been in touch because I have a lot of post. Don’t know where the post room is yet or where to put the post.

The Parliamentary Labour Party meeting next. Committee Room 14 is packed to the gunnels when I arrive. I squeeze in close to my Islington South colleague. We also discuss our children…

An interesting meeting – an overwhelming view that the core of our domestic agenda is on the right track. There is robust discussion and thoughtful contributions from Frank Field and someone I couldn’t see who called for a continuation of the public display of team effort from the cabinet.

Harriet Harman takes me and a couple of other new women under her wing to show us the tea room but we get separated and I get lost before I get there. I find myself on my way into the chamber for the first time to see the Speaker sworn in. I’m stopped at the door because I am not allowed to take a coat and bag in. Stern at first the men in funny clothes relent when I ask “What locker? I don’t have anywhere to put it” and let me leave it with them. Must find out how to get a locker.

It’s quite a shock to see how male the chamber is. Looking across at the Tory benches I struggle to differentiate the ranks of men in suits. Faced with the front bench I try and do a bit of celebrity MP spotting but only recognise Theresa May (Michael Howard and Tony Blair were both at the Tsunami memorial). A useful reminder of how insignificant the Westminster Village is in the real world.

Wednesday night sees the annual council meeting at Hackney Town Hall. I have attended the last four as the London Assembly member and it’s a great chance to meet some key Hackney activists in one place. Speaker Geoffrey Taylor has done a terrific job and will be a hard act to follow. Two Hackney women are sworn in as Speaker (Cllr Linda Kelly) and deputy Speaker (Cllr Sade Bright). As I joke to my male colleagues “The women are taking over”. Some of them look a little pale.

I manage a quick chat with the borough police commander – we agree we need to meet to discuss some issues which I have picked up, including how few people I met over the last few weeks seemed to know the names of their local neighbourhood police team.

Thursday is an endless round of checking e-mails (thank goodness for the internet café boom in Hackney), finding my post and getting locker keys etc. I manage to swear in. I turn up to see what I need to do and suddenly find myself in front of one of the staff in a fancy costume asking me to read the words out loud.

Next thing I am signing the book and being introduced to Mr Speaker Martin. So that’s it. I’m officially the MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch. To my delight my Labour/Co-op colleague Meg Munn (MP for Sheffield Heeley) was there to hear me. So I was not alone after all.

By the end of Thursday I have had enough of trying to get to know Parliament and I hit the doorsteps in Hoxton to meet residents on the Geffrye Estate. I don’t have anything very high tech so face to face communication seems the best way to keep in touch. A couple of issues to take up but mostly people pleased to know who their MP is. I plead with them for patience as I try and sort out some temporary office set up and sift through my many messages.

Next week sees the State Opening of Parliament on Tuesday and debate on the Queen’s speech for the rest of the week. And let’s hope I have some news on that office…..

I will post my contact details and surgery times as soon as I can.

Meg